Swimming pool cleaning system



July 21, 1970 G.J. sl-uz SWIMMING POOL CLEANING SYSTEM 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 11, 1967 JNVENTOR. GEORGE J. GHIZ July 21, 1970 G. J. GHIZ 3,521,304

swmmme POOL CLEANING SYSTEM Filed Sept. 11, 1967 2 Sheets Sheet 2 llll' llllllh 1 I IIIIIIII IIIIIII' ll-Im INVENTOR GEORGE J. GHIZ United States Patent SWIMMING POOL CLEANING SYSTEM George J. Ghiz, 221 E. Hayward,

. Phoenix, Ariz. 85020 Filed Sept. 11, 1967, Ser. No. 666,595 Int. Cl. E04h 3/18 US. Cl. 41'72.16 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE V A swimming pool cleaning system comprising a pool structure having inner surfaces, and a plurality of rotating jet delivery means adapted to deliver jet streams of water substantially parallel to and in adjacent relation with the inner surfaces of the pool for washing and cleaning said inner surfaces; said means also provided with jet nozzles disposed at an acute angle to the rotating axis of the rotary jet delivery means to maintain deleteriousmatter in suspension in the water so that it may be'carried away by the pool circulation system.

water circulating apparatus.

BACKGROUND THE INVENTION Many devices and methods have been used for cleaning deleterious matter from the interior of a swimming pool. Some of them include manually operated vacuum pickups, others include snake-like water jet tubes of flexible character which operate in a generally sinusoidal movement, and rub the bottom of the pool while moving around and creating jet streams along the inner surfaces of the pool.

Other prior art devices have included nozzles adjacent the inner surfaces of the pool structure, and these nozzles have been unidirectional or monodirectional, and have been partially successful,however, most prior art pool cleaning systems have required a substantial amount of attention, labor, and/or maintenance.

' SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a pool structure having inner surfaces, and rotary water jet delivery devices carried by the pool structure, and having rotary water jets disposed to deliver jet streams substantially parallel' to the surfaces of the walls and bottom portion of the pool so that the inner surfaces may be effectively. washed to suspend fine sedimentary material and other deleterious matter which collects in a swimming pool. In addition, the rotary jet delivery means is provided with secondary jet nozzles disposed to project jet streams in a rotary direction, but at an acute angle to the rotating axis of the rotary jet delivery means, and also at an acute angle to the adjacent surfaces of the pool, such that the material washed into suspension from the surfaces of the pool structure may be maintained in suspension so that the -deleterious matter may be carried away, either through 3,521,304 Patented July 21, 1970 Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel swimming pool cleaning system employing a plurality of rotary jet delivery means adapted constantly to rotate 360 degrees, and to project its streams in adjacent parallel and scrubbing relation with the, inner surfaces of a pool structure. 7 I j Another object of the inv'entionis'to provide a novel swimming pool cleaning system having rotary jet delivery means provided with jet nozzles adapted m1 issue jet streams parallel with and in scrubbing relation withinner surfaces of a swimming pool, and also to issue secondary jet streams at an angle or an acute angle to the rotating axis of the rotary jet delivery means for maintainingth e material in suspension in the water within the pool. v

Another object of the invention is to "provide a novel swimming pool cleaning systememploying a plurality of rotary jet delivery means in connection'with the watercirculating plumbing and filter system of a swimming pool.

Another object of the invention is to provide'a novel rotary jet delivery means having simple features of'construction for efiiciently projecting jet streams in parallel scrubbing relationship with inner surfaces of a swimming pool structure, and also to provide for angularly disposeed jet streams for maintaining foreign matter in suspension in the water until it is collected by the swimming pool filtering system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a swimming pool, together with a water circulating and filtering means, and showing a swimming pool cleaning system in connection therewith, and in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a swimming pool, such as shown in FIG. 1, and showing a swimming pool cleaning system in connection therewith, and in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of a rotary water jet delivery means used as part of the swimming pool cleaning system of the invention, and showing structural portions of the housing of the rotary jet delivery means broken away to amplify the illustration;

FIG. 4 is a top or plan view of a modified rotary jet delivery means of the invention, showing portions thereof broken away and in section to amplify the illustration, and illustrating fragmentary portions of concrete in which said rotary jet delivery means is embedded. 1 I

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 55 of FIG. 4, showing a part of the rotary jet delivery means of the invention in elevation to facilitate the illustration; and 6 FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from th line 6-6 of FIG. 4, illustrating by arrows the directions of jet streams which may be projected by the rotary jet delivery means of the invention.-

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIG. 1, the swimming pool cleaning system of the invention includesa swimming pool structure 10 having inner surface portions 12 which include inner surfaces at sides 14, a bottom 16, andend walls 18 and 20, all as shown best in FIG. 2 of the drawings. Embedded in the side walls 14, bottom 16 and end walls 18 and 20, if desired, are rotary jet delivery assemblies22, as will b hereinafter described in detail.

Communicating with each of the rotary. water je delivery assemblies or means of the invention is ,a conduit 24 adapted to deliver water under pressure to operate the rotary jet delivery assemblies, as will be hereinafter described. This conduit 24 is disposed to communicate with the outlet of a filter 26, a pump 28 delivers waterunder pressure to the filter, and receives water through a conduit communicating with a main drain 32, and also communicating with a conduit 34 communicating with the skimmer 36. g

. vThe pump 28 thus pulls water from the main drain 32 and .skimmer 36, and forces it through the filter 26, and the conduit'24, and to the rotary jet delivery assemblies 22.

As shown in FIG. 3, a rotary jet delivery assembly 22 is provided with a plumbing connection end 38 adapted to be connected with the conduit 24 by a conventional plumbing fitting. The plumbing fitting 38 communicates with a liquid driven turbine 40 operably connected to a reduction gear train 42 which slowly rotates a hollow shaft 44 carrying a plurality of jet nozzles, one of them being designated 46, and directed generally at right angles to the axis of the rotating hollow shaft 44. This shaft 44 being rotated at low speed by the gear train 42.

A flange 48 extending from the housing 50 of the rotary jet delivery assembly 22 is adapted to be substantially in flush relation with one of the inner surfaces 12 of the pool structure 10. Thus, the jet nozzle 46 is adapted to issue a water jet, as indicated by arrows 52, so that the Water jet is parallel to and in scrubbing relation with the respective inner surface areas of the pool structure surrounding the rotary water jet delivery assembly 22.

Additional nozzles 54 and 56 are directed at an acute angle to the axis of the hollow shaft 44, and with relation to the axis of the jet nozzles 46. These jet nozzles 54 and 56 are adapted to issue jet streams in directions of broken lines 58, shown best in FIG. 2 of the drawings, so that water washed from the inner surfaces of the pool by the jet streams 52 will be forced upward and maintained in suspension in the water, and thus the deleterious matter, such as fine silt, bugs, leaves, grass, and other matter may be maintained in suspension until it is eventually withdrawn from the pool through the main drain 32 or the skimmer 36 by means of the pump 28. This deleterious matter is then collected in the filter, and the clean water passes back through the conduit 24, and to further operate the rotary jet delivery assemblies 22. Each of these assemblies 22 thus operates jet stream nozzles 46 disposed parallel to and in close adjacent relation with the inner surfaces 12 of the pool structure 10, and also nozzles disposed at an acute angle to the rotating axis of the hollow shaft 44 which carries water under pressure upwardly through the nozzles 46, 54 and 56, as hereinbefore described.

The particular rotary jet delivery assemblies 22, as shown in FIG. 3, are conventional sprinkler heads manufactured by Moist OMatic Inc., PO. Box 489, Riverside, Calif, a subsidiary of the Toro Manufacturing Corporation. These assemblies 22 are generally of a 630 series, turf irrigation sprinkler construction manufactured by Moist OMatic Inc., and are therefore substantially conventional rotary jet delivery devices.

In the modification, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, a simple jet reaction rotary disc serves to motivate the rotary jet delivery means of the invention.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the modified rotary jet delivery assemblies are designated 60, and comprise a generally cylindrical housing 62 having a lower internally threaded open end 64 adapted to be connected with inlet plumbing communicating with the conduit 24. Each housing is provided with an upper open outlet end 6'6 having a peripheral edge 68 disposed substantially flush with one of the inner surface portions 12 of the pool structure 10. The housing 60 is provided with a bearing spider 70 which includes a central hub 72, and spaced radiating legs 74 extending outwardly and integral with an internal wall of the housing 60 at 76.

The central hub portion 72 is provided with a bore 78 in which a shaft 80 is rotatably mounted. This shaft 80 is provided with a pair of jam nuts 82 screw threaded on an externally screw threaded portion 84 of the shaft 80, and a low coeflicient of friction thrust bearing, such as Teflon, designated 86, bears on a lower surface of the hub 72, while water pressure tends to hold a disc 88 in connection with the shaft 80 upwardly, as will be hereinafter described.

The disc 88 is mounted on the shaft 80, and abuts a head 90 thereof, water pressure in a direction of an arrow, shown in FIG. 5, tends to hold the rotary member 88 upwardly so as to maintain its lower edge 92 in slightly spaced relationship with the peripheral edge 68 ofthe housing 60.

Disposed in overlying relation with the edge 68 of the housing 60 are jet nozzle slots 94. These slots 94 are in the lower portion of the disc 88, and direct water, as indicated by arrows B and C in FIG. 6. These jet nozzle slots 94 are disposed tangent to a radius 96, shown best in FIG. 4 of the drawings. This radius or are being spaced outward from the rotary axis of the disc which is about the center 98 of the bolt head 90, shown in FIG. 4.

These jet slots 94 tend to provide for jet reaction causing the disc 88 to rotate in a direction of arrows 100 in FIG. 4 of the drawings.

The jet nozzles 94 are thus disposed to issue jet streams, as indicated by the arrow C in FIG. 6, in parallel scrubbing relation with an inner surface 12 of the pool structure 10, and inasmuch as the disc 88 is free to rotate continuously throughout 360 degrees, an entire area surrounding the disc 88 is washed. Thus, inner surfaces of the pool structure 10 are washed clean, thus removing sediment or other deleterious matter, while upwardly directed jet nozzles 102 issue jet streams, as indicated by an arrow B in FIG. 6 of the drawings, the jet reaction relative to the nozzles 102 being in the same direction as that of the nozzles 94, also tending to rotate the disc 88 in the same direction of the arrows 100. The angle of the nozzles 102 being in accordance with the direction of the arrow B in FIG. 6, and at an acute angle to the rotary axis of the disc 88 about the axis of the shaft 80, and also these jet nozzles 102 are disposed at an acute angle to the axis of the jet nozzles 94, and/or the adjacent inner surfaces 12 of the pool structure 10.

With water pressure in the direction as indicated by the arrow A, the disc 88 is maintained free and slightly spaced from the edge 68 of the housing 62, and a peripheral portion 106 of the disc 88 is disposed in slight spaced relation to an internal annular wall of the housing 62 to thus prevent lateral displacement of the disc 88 in the event a person steps on it. Water flow around this edge 106 will always maintain the disc concentric, and substantial tolerance may be provided in the bore 78 around the shaft 80 to permit free rotation of the disc 88 and shaft 80.

The Teflon bearing 86 is a low coefiicient of friction bearing, and operating in water has a great lift expectancy.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the rotary jet nozzle assemblies, as hereinbefore described, and as disposed in relation to inner surfaces of a swimming pool structure provide for the washing and scrubbing of the internal surfaces, and also the maintenance of the deleterious matters scrubbed therefrom in suspension in the water contained in the pool so that the suspended material may be carried away through the main drain 32 and the skimmer 36, and thus the entire area or inner surface 12 of the pool may be maintained clean, in accordance with proper spacing of the rotary jet delivery assemblies 22.

It will be understood that each assembly 60 is equivalent to the assemblies 22, shown and described in connection with FIG. 2 of the drawings.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications of the present invention may be resorted to in a manner limited only by a just interpretation of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a swimming pool cleaning system, the combination of:

(a) a swimming pool structure having an inner surface;

(b) rotary water jet delivery means carried by said pool structure and disposed at said inner surface,

said jet delivery means rotatable on an axis generally at right angles to said inner surface and having a jet nozzle provided with a delivery axis disposed generally parallel to said surface to project a water stream in adjacent parallel and scrubbing relation to said inner surface; and

(c) water powered turbine means disposed to rotate said jet delivery means about its axis of rotation.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein: said jet nozzle means is disposed such that its delivery axis is tangent with respect to an arcuate path radially spaced from the axis of rotation of said jet delivery means.

3. The invention, as defined in claim 1, wherein: a plurality of said jet nozzles are carried by said jet delivery means.

4. The invention, as defined in claim 3, wherein: each of said jet delivery means is provided with a second jet nozzle means having a delivery axis disposed at an angle to said surface, and also at an acute angle to the rotational axis of said jet delivery means.

5. The invention, as defined in claim 1, wherein: a reduction gear train is driven by said turbine, and disposed to drive said jet delivery means.

6. The invention, as defined in claim 3, wherein: said jet delivery means comprises a generally disc-shaped member, and a generally cylindrical body member in which said disc-shaped member is rotatably mounted, said body member having an open end with a peripheral edge, said disc-shaped member having a peripheral portion adjacent said peripheral edge, said jet nozzles being slots in one side of said disc-shaped member which faces said peripheral edge, said slots open over said peripheral edge.

7. The invention, as defined in claim 4, wherein: said jet delivery means comprises generally disc-shaped member, and a generally cylindrical body member in which said disc-shaped member is rotatably mounted, said body member having an open end with a peripheral edge, said disc-shaped member having a peripheral portion adjacent said peripheral edge, said jet nozzles being slots in one side of said disc-shaped member which faces said peripheral edge, said slots open over said peripheral edge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,855,258 4/1932 Sirch 4--172 1,917,614 7/1933 Test 4172 2,088,410 7/1937 Everson 4-172 XR 2,932,397 4/1960 Ogden 4-172 XR 3,032,044 5/1962 Pansini 134-111 XR 3,101,730 8/1963 Harris et al. l34-167 3,247,968 4/1966 Miller 4l96 XR 3,278,949 10/1966 Whitaker 4172 3,289,216 12/1966 Anthony et al. 4172 3,408,006 10/1968 Stanwood 134-167 XR 3,411,163 11/1968 Myers 4-172 FOREIGN PATENTS 461,828 2/1937 Great Britain.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

